How to Beat Jet Lag with These Eight Easy Tricks
For those of you who have been following me for a while, you know that my lifestyle demands extensive travel across the world. I have found myself globetrotting for business meetings or just to assess some enchanting resorts at exotic destinations. The fatigue and exhaustion that comes with late-night or long-distance flights can affect your productivity upon arrival. Can you imagine descending from the aircraft straight into the boardroom? It is excruciating, to say the least. I have learned the hard way to beat the nasty aftermath of spending endless hours in these giants of aviation, and over the years, I have compiled some tips and tricks that have worked for me and helped me settle down with much ease. So without further ado, here are my 8 tips on how to recover from a long flight!
- Alter Your Sleep Pattern to Match the One of Your Anticipated Destination
Since I mostly travel on business, my ability to perform in the time zones of my destination is critical. To ensure that I fit in easily, I normally regulate my sleep pattern a day or two before travel to match that of my destination. This way I can hit the road as soon as I land, without having to deal with the gruesome effects of time zone differences. You do not want to waste a whole day feeling groggy and unproductive.
- Cheat a Little
A carb-free, gluten-cautious diet will do you no good on a long journey. Indulge in carbohydrate-rich foods to boost your insulin levels. Insulin will help your body fine-tune to a new eating-and-resting program. So grab that pizza, fries, cake, or dunkin’ donut at a fast-food restaurant on your way to or from the airport. Besides sleep deprivation, low energy levels will plunge your productivity to an all-time low. You can manage the extra calories when you settle back to your normal lifestyle.
- Resist the Urge to Nap
I know that your body is screaming for a post-flight nap, but resist it for your own good. Taking a whole cycle of sleep will leave your body more lethargic and slow. It denies your body an opportunity to regulate the local time schedules. As a result, you will find yourself sleeping when you ought to be awake and awake when you ought to be sleeping. Take no more than an hour’s nap, but only when it becomes necessary. I believe in pushing myself as it enhances my productivity.
- Put Your Feet Up
Elevate your feet not just because it feels good, but because it helps you get rid of the swelling in your legs. Remove your footwear as soon as you get to your hotel room or wherever else you are staying. Prop your feet on the bedpost or wall for about fifteen minutes. Your feet will reward you greatly for this simple exercise. One flight attendant I spoke to simplified this process by comparing it to passing tea leaves through a sieve, essentially draining all the fluid from your legs and leaving the muscle fibres less saturated.
- Use a Jet Lag Mask or Sleep Vitamin
You can depend on a high-quality jet lag mask to give your skin the much-needed vitamins, antioxidants, and ceramides to help it recover from the stress that you have been through. Give your skin some tender loving care for a radiant look.
When it comes to sleep-enhancing vitamins, nothing beats Olly Restful Sleep gummy. These proficiently blended sleep gummies activate the release of your sleep hormone and will relax your body, sending you to dreamland in record time. I have found these extremely helpful when exhaustion takes a toll on me and falling asleep becomes a chore.
- Exercise
Get blood pumping through your body. Traversing through different time zones will leave you worn-out and sore. A few minutes of workout will transport oxygen throughout your body and leave you feeling alive. Exercise increases the release of endorphins {natural pain reliever}, which makes every muscle in your body feel as good as new. It doesn’t have to be the aerobic kind of workout; 10- 15 minutes of simple exercises in your room will make you feel invigorated. Stretch exercises are especially helpful in treating lactic acid build-up associated with muscle pain.
I am a lover of the great outdoors; you will, therefore, find me exercising out in the open. The fresh air jolts my brain into action and the enhanced blood circulation gives me renewed energy.
- Keep That Water Bottle Close
You can never go wrong on this one. Aim at exceeding the recommended eight glasses per day. Sip water throughout the day to beat the awful feeling of dehydration associated with long hours of travel and jet lag. Coffee will make dehydration worse; I, therefore, advise that you keep it away for a day. Nurse your body back to optimal function by drinking as much water as possible. It’s an easy inexpensive way of keeping you productive. I add mint or lime to my bottle of water to make it more palatable.
- Treat Yourself to a Massage
What your body needs after such a tedious journey is a soothing, relaxing massage to eliminate soreness in the muscles. If an INR 7000 hotel spa is out of your range, a Chinatown ‘Massage Only’ will do. You have every reason to indulge in the goodies that this short life offers. After all, your body deserves a treat. Without it, life would be impossible.
Jet lag doesn’t have to put you down and make life unbearable. Practice these 8 tips on how to recover from a long flight, and your next flight will be an enjoyable cruise!
I would suggest lubricating (lip balm) the inside of your nose. This shields moisture from getting away through your nasal layers – particularly if you are flying consecutively for over 8 hours in a 24 hour time frame.
Thank you for sharing, Carolyn.
This post has been beautifully curated and your aptitude as an author is great, Tanya!
I think that trying to sleep and waking up and eating to your new time zone, getting outside, and a slow first day – are how I try to beat the dreaded jet lag! 🙂
Thank you for sharing, Simran.
I think going slow at first is so important; I’ve made the mistake of trying to cram too much in and then I get so grumpy… haha!
Great tips on jet lag, and what beautiful visuals to support this post, Tanya.
I caffeinate after I arrive (if my flight lands in the morning), and avoid napping in the day if I can help it. 🙂
Thank you, Ayesha.
I just try to get out in the sun as much as I can really… It helps reset the body clock and makes me happy when I’m feeling a bit blugghhh!
I actually haven’t experienced bad jet lags, but I’m travelling to the US in a few weeks and I’m a bit nervous. Since I have a stopover, I could walk or perform some basic exercises at the terminal. It will keep my blood flowing and prevents aches. And once I reach, I can try to keep busy so I fall exhausted into bed the first few nights and sleep well…
The truth is that when you sit for a long stretch of time, the fluids in your body rush to your feet and therefore, your feet tend to swell and ache. So this is solid advice.
Hope your flight is okay… That’s a long way but so worth it! 🙂
Great tips for handling jet leg for sure. I beat jet lag on my recent trip from India to London by not going to sleep on a night flight, and when I got into London I was then able to crash out and woke up the next day refreshed!
*Also, doing yoga after the flight is a better than average choice for all those aspiring yogis out there. 🙂
I hear you… plane sleeping is never that restorative any way.
Swimming is my activity of choice {once I reach my destination}, but you’re right, any exercise works.
You nailed it again, Tanya! ❤️ I really like your blog, and the content you’ve been putting out is really high quality! In any case, I carry dried herbal teas and request for hot water during the flight. I also carry a few fresh fruits to enjoy.
Thank you, Krati. 🙂
Yes, you are permitted to take fresh fruit as long as you eat it before your destination. I’ve taken fruit on every flight from nearly every airline to many countries, and I’ve never been refused!
This is awesome! The visuals are so peaceful to view, it feels like I am in a soothing place. 🙂
My recommendation is to schedule meetings at your destination based on the time zone from which you are departing. This enables you to remain focused and be at your best during the meeting.
This is never easy, Divya. But if you can put off a return to work for a day, it will be better for all concerned.
As soon as you seek to inspire others, it inspires the best in you! 🙂 Just had to share that…
I drink plenty of water during the flight as aeroplane cabins are particularly dry, and dehydration makes it harder to recoup. I also try to get onto local time as quick as possible.
Yes, staying hydrated during a flight can be tricky since the air is so dry…
With regard to zoning in, it does make such a difference, especially if you have a packed itinerary.
Such an amazing post! I personally avoid all alcohol the day before and during flights… Then get as much sunshine as possible and go with the flow… 🙂
Sunshine always helps perk me up… Reducing the amount of toxins and free radicals in the body helps.
You can’t beat a beach for recovering from jet lag! Haha!!
On a more serious note, I’ve read that getting out in the daylight at the earliest opportunity helps to get your body clock back in sync. However, the best preventative remedy of all is to apparently take as many flight stopovers as you can!
…definitely my favourite place to recover, too! 🙂
To avoid feeling jet-lagged, as soon as I arrive, I head out on a walk immediately (another reason why I always bring my running shoes everywhere I go.) Additional, eating raw food for one day is a gentle, easy cleanse and also a great way to get your colon re-adjusted to the new time zone!
I enjoy walking, too. I allow myself to get lost and just enjoy the day being outside in a gorgeous city with nothing to do other than explore it on foot!
Getting lost when travelling is one of my favourite things about visiting new places!
As indicated by William Gibson ~ character jet lag is caused by your soul not having the capacity to travel at jet speed. It lags behind you and takes a few days to reel back in a manner of speaking.
Haha!! Now this ~ I like! 😀
I could write a book on how fabulous you are ❤️ Tanya!
My husband and I always take the first day as a write off. We follow the time zone of the country we’re in. I’d say it takes about 3 days to recover… 🙂
Aw ~ thank you, Sonakshi.
Writing off the first day is such a good idea; I’ve tried to hit the ground running before and it just ended up with everyone being miserable!
What good tips. A friend of mine told me years ago, to avoid getting jet-lag, you must go outside at exactly 12 noon and just be in the direct sun for exactly 15 minutes. This way the sunlight will reset your inner-clock and you won’t be affected by jet-lag. It works for me, so maybe it will work for everyone!
Everything I’ve tried (and have written about here) has been a test and is what intuitively felt right for me…
Wonderful share! Gravol (Dimenhydrinate) + Ashwagandha – My favourite travel sleep combo. It’s the thing that always works for me (to sleep on flights) and when I first get somewhere while travelling. I take approximately 30-40 mins to fall sleep.
Note: It’s not something I rely on once I’m back to my normal routine. Day to day I don’t use sleep aids. 🙂
I’ve recently started using relaxation music and a decent pair of in-ear headphones, and have discovered that this helps me to doze off quicker…
I think we can all agree that jet lag is the worst! You spend all of this time planning a trip, getting days off, and flying all the way over to your destination, only to not be worth a damn when you get there! Loving the tips you’ve suggested, Tanya! ❤️ (You are dedicated!)
I’m glad you found this post useful, Soumi.
After taking over 100 flights, I think I can safely say that you’ve become an expert in the realm of overcoming jet lag and sleeping on air planes, Tanya! 🙂 Thank you for bringing that expertise to us!
p.s. When I land late at night, I take a sleeping pill so I’m sorted the next day!
Try and time your flights so you arrive in the morning, Mahadev. That way you stand a better chance of not sleeping, and you can hit the ground running!
Great tips for beating jet lag! This morning I woke up long before my alarm went off and I couldn’t get back to sleep. Is there some other method you would offer?
Cooling your body (whilst relaxing) helps to trigger melatonin, Rohini. So if you have trouble sleeping, take a cold show and then relax. It’ll work. 🙂
Jet lag got me spinnin’… Just kidding! But I’ll have to remember these tips if I ever have to travel a lot and get jet lagged. By the way, the blog posts you curate are outstanding, and I appreciate everything you do! ❤️❤️❤️
Aw ~ thank you so much, Priyeta!